


It Hurts

by DeathByShyKid



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Anxiety, Family Bonding, Robin is hurt, friendship bonding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-14 22:23:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13017393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeathByShyKid/pseuds/DeathByShyKid
Summary: "It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone." - Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. Everyone watches as the Robin they all knew in their time in Young Justice disappear before their very eyes. No one is more upset than Batman himself. [Robin is hurt]





	1. Mission Gone Wrong

The ground shook the ground beneath their feet from the roar admitting from down the hall, making the rocks above them rattle dangerously. Artemis looked up, her eyes wide with terror, fearing that the cave would come right down on their heads. Robin was trying to hack the metal door that led outside of the cave as quickly as possible so that they may escape. Superboy was staring down the hallway in front of the group, acting like the front liner. Aqualad was beside him, his arms were raised behind him to grab his weapon if needed. Mrs. Martian floated in the air above the two, arms raised as telepathic back-up. Kid Flash was pacing behind the two nervously, quickly glancing at the group before continuing what he was doing.

"Done!" Robin shouted out as another roar shook the earth. The door opened slowly as they rushed out.

"What do we do now? Those guys aren't going to stop until we're dead!" Wally shouted over to Kaldur.

The leader sighed, "Maybe now would be a time to call the Justice League?"

"Ah, now why would you want to do that?" A giggly voice responded from behind the six. They turned around, not realizing that they'd been there. A woman about 4'7 stood slouched, twin gauntlets on her hands dripping with poison. She had blond hair tied up into pigtails with deep brown eyes. She was dressed in red spandex with orange and white seams. This is Mistress Ember, a new villain that had popped up in the last three months from who-know-where. Beside her was a brute of a man, her brother Marshall Law. He had short blond hair with cold black eyes that stared deep within your souls. He stood at almost seven feet tall, just a few inches shorter. He had a similar spandex outfit like his sister except for the splotches of black on his joints. The two looked like a deadly duo, one is sadistic while the other was cold-hearted. Together, they seemed to be an unstoppable force. An example of their strength is still in the team's seared clothing and their many bruises.

The team was instantly on guard from the appearance of their tormentors. Conner felt his blood boiling from the presence of Marshall Law, having already had a run-in with the beast of a man. Said man let out a rage-filled shout, "Give back what you stole!" It was then that all hell broke loose. Marshall Law rushed forward, slamming his full body into Kaldur, knocking the Atlantian back a few hundred feet. Mistress Ember appeared behind him, spewing fire from her mouth down to the group. Instinctively, Wally managed to get his friends out of the way before the fireball had hit them. She huffed, seeing that her ball of destruction hadn't hit anything besides the dirt underneath her feet. Robin jumped up, throwing a birdarang at Mistress Ember but it was swiftly deflected by her claws. M'gann rose into the air, using her telekinesis to raise boulder into the air before throwing it at both Mistress Ember and Marshall Law. Kaldur had gotten up, a few newer cuts on his body, and was rushing towards Mistress Ember with water whips. Conner was on top of Marshall Law's shoulder, bashing his fist into his head which had no effect on the man. His large hand reached up and grabbed Superboy by the neck before throwing him right at Kaldur who was just about to attack his sister. Kid Flash was running around Mistress Ember, letting her claw through thin air. She gave a frustrated shout before lighting herself on fire and expanding it outwards in a circle, effectively making Wally rush away. Artemis was on higher ground, shooting arrows down at the enemies. They were either deflected or had no effect. The team regrouped afterward near her.

"How are we supposed to defeat them?" Wally questioned, sounding a little out of breath.

"I'm not sure. Marshall Law is the strongest here while Mistress Ember has more tactics that we are unaware of." Kaldur stated monotonously, "Anyone else have an idea?"

Robin tapped his chin, "We need to separate the two. They are stronger together so they become very protective of each other. If we split them up, they won't know what's happening to each other."

"How are we supposed to do that when we can't even land a hit on them?" Artemis exclaimed, catching the enemy advancing towards them.

"We have to use restraints like Kaldur's whips and my telekinesis," M'gann said.

"So, we'll need to split up?" Conner asked, getting into a stance as Mistress Ember and Marshall Law were approaching.

"Kaldur, Conner, Artemis. You three should go for Marshall Law. Do hit-and-run tactics to get him moving away from Mistress Ember." Robin stated, "The rest of us will go after Mistress Ember. Clear?" They all nodded, splitting into their groups.

Kaldur jumped from the hill, using his whips to wrap around Marshall Law's large forearms and dragging him down in a quick move. The blond haired man was about to get up, only to have Superboy's knees jab into his back. The two jumped back, running towards Artemis' position. Marshall Law howled in rage, rushing towards the two. Just as he was approaching, the two side-stepped, letting Artemis' quiver of arrows stick into Marshall Law's skin, exploding on contact. He growled, an animalistic look covering his face. The three started to run from him, not wanting to be on the end of another punch.

Around the same time, Kid Flash was running some more circles around Mistress Ember. She laughed, "This again? Do you kids really have no other tricks?" Her body ignited, pushing outwards quicker than before. The fire caught Wally's arm as he ran away. Mistress Ember gave an insane laugh as she let her sphere of flames expand, wishing it to just burn the world. However, it stopped much to her annoyance. M'gann's hands were out, letting a force field cover the destructiveness of Mistress Ember's powers. She started to decrease the oxygen in the force field, making the flames dissipate. Mistress Ember groaned, getting her twin gauntlets ready as the force field fell. Robin appeared before her as the two engaged in hand-to-hand combat. For the majority of the time, the black haired teenager was on the defensive, having to look out for the claws on the gauntlets but he did manage to get a few hits in. Mistress Ember was growing tired of these games. "You three are getting on my nerves!" She yelled, her fists balled.

"Maybe if you weren't trying to destroy the water supplies, we wouldn't be here!" Wally shouted back sarcastically, standing beside Robin and M'gann before whispering, "Now what? We have her at a good enough distance."

"I have about twenty-five bombs on me right now. Wally, if you can distract her, I can throw the bombs at her. If she tries to deflect or destroy them, M'gann do you think you can redirect them so they will hit her?" Batman's protégé responded. The two nodded, getting ready to enact their plan.

* * *

Marshall Law narrowed his eyes at the three in front of them. They had suddenly stopped running from him. Conner took a step forward, before hopping into the sky with his fist raised. Marshall Law laughed, meeting him up halfway before knocking his own fist against Superboy's head. He landed heavily on the ground. Marshall Law was about to advance towards Kaldur and Artemis when an explosion caught their attention. They looked at him, seeing a smoke cloud in the distance. His eyes widened, "Sister!" He started running towards the smoke, hoping that nothing had happened to his sister. Artemis, Kaldur, and the now recovered Conner chased after him. When they arrived at the scenes, a burnt body laid lifeless in a crater. Marshall Law's rushed over to the corpse, seeing remnants of his sister. "N-No..." His eyes body for any signs of life, but when he found none all he could do was scream out to the world. The ground beneath their feet shook uncontrollably. Marshall Law's eyes rolled to the back of his head, his body convulsing with power. He grew taller, stronger, and angrier.

Clearing seeing what was going on, Kaldur looked to the group, "EVERYONE TAKE COVER!" Following their leader's orders, the teenagers dove behind boulders as everything shook.

M'gann quickly set up a communication link between everyone,  _"What's happening?!"_

 _"_ _I'm not sure but it's really freaking me out!"_ Wally practically shouted into the link.

 _"_ _He's powering up."_ Conner stated,  _"We need to stop him before he gets any stronger or else we'll all be dead."_

 _"_ _T-Too late for that..."_ Artemis said with fear in her voice as she peered behind the rock, watching as Marshall Law finally calmed down. He stood about 7'8, his arms glistening with sweat. He was buffer and was most likely stronger; one punch could probably kill anyone in their group. They gave a collective gulp. They were nervous bordering on scared.

Kaldur took a deep breath,  _"I believe that now is as good enough time to call Batman. This is-"_

The leader was effectively cut off by the roar emitting from Marshall Law, "COME OUT AND FIGHT ME YOU COWARDS!" The blond haired man peered at the rocks, growling at them all. He crouched down before hopping into the air and smashing his feet into the boulder, hoping that it had crushed one of those pesky brats. Unfortunately, there was nothing. He proceeded to hop around to try and kill the teenagers in hiding.

 _"_ _We won't have the chance. The minute one of us turns on our coms to talk to Batman, he'll hear us and slaughter us all."_ Robin sighed,  _"We need a plan, one that won't get us killed. Hit-and-run tactics will probably be our best shot, but he's already seen us do it before. I don't think he'll fall for it twice. He'll most likely be ready for an attack."_

 _"_ _Well, you seem to be the only one with a plan,"_ Wally started, shrugging even though no one could see him,  _"we might as well give it a try."_

 _"_ _But what if we all end up dying because of this plan?"_ The Kryptonian clone questioned, rolling to the right so he wouldn't be crushed by Marshall Law.

"Ah! So there you are!" The older male gave an insane laugh, launching himself towards Superboy. The black haired boy barely managed to dodge but wasn't fast enough to stop the kick from hitting him on the side. He flew a few hundred feet away, sliding across the ground. Conner clenched his teeth, breathing through his nose painfully.

"Conner!" M'gann shouted out worriedly, effectively gaining Marshall Law's attention.

"I see how it is." The man gave a sickening grin, walking over towards the fallen teenager, "So if I hurt one brat, then the whole swarm comes to his rescue. How interesting."

With her arms raised, she used her telepathic prowess to stop his movements, "Don't even think about it!" Internally, she was telling the team to grab Superboy and take him to safety. Marshall Law grits his teeth, his eyes moving between Conner and M'gann. He saw a yellow streak rush by and grab Conner before he was off in a blink of an eye.

He howled in rage, "YOU ALL WILL PAY!" M'gann yelped, her telepathic hold on his body broken. Marshall Law grabbed a piece of broken rock that he'd previously smashed and threw it at her. She barely had any time to collect her thoughts as the rock flew at her, slamming her into the stomach. M'gann fell to Earth harshly, forcefully making her lose her breath as her head hit the ground, losing consciousness.

"What now?!" Whispered Wally frantically, "He's going to get us too!"

Robin placed a hand on his shoulder, "Get a hold of yourself, Kid."

"I agree with Robin." Superboy stood up, "We need to get out there and stop him."

"Hey, I never said to go out there and get pummeled to death." He narrowed his eyes, "Don't make such rash decisions. We need a plan."

"He hurt M'gann. That gives me every right to go out there and-"

"Get yourself killed." Artemis snarled, "Is that what you really want? If you died, M'gann would be a wreck. She'd think that your death was her fault. Stop being so selfish, Superboy." He flared his nostrils but didn't say anything else.

"ONE DOWN, FIVE TO GO!" Marshall Law shouted, stomping around the area in search for new prey.

"We need to get a hold of ourselves." Kaldur stated, leaning against the rock hiding them, "The only way we have a chance of going against him is to work as a team. Robin, what should be our plan of attack?"

He blinked, "Why're you asking me?"

Kaldur gave him a reassuring smile, "You were the one to suggest hit-and-run tactics twice."

Robin smirked, nodding, "Well, alright then. So here's the plan..."

* * *

Marshall Law was growing angrier and angrier by the minute. There was nothing, absolutely nothing. Maybe he'd killed them all when he was smashing everything in his wake. His heart stung with guilt over his sister's death, wishing that he'd been there for her. They were family, a team that couldn't be reckoned with. Now she was gone and he was alone to avenge her. Suddenly, a smoke bomb went off around him. Marshall Law spun around quickly, scanning through the gray cloud around him for anything to pummel. Yellow flashed before his eyes as a red fist hit him in the face three times and before the larger man could throw anything back, the blur was gone. His ears twitched as he turned around to catch a fist from Superboy. Seeing his hand caught, Conner reared his other one back but Marshall Law already beat him to it. The older man's fist smashed into the teenager's face, sending him away. Blood fell from the Kryptonian's nose harshly as his back connected with the ground, rolling around before coming to a stop unconscious. "Two down, four left." He grinned, obviously proud of his actions.

He suddenly felt something like a slap on his back. Marshall Law turned around, not fazed by the water whips Kaldur was currently using against him. The blond haired man had the nerve to laugh as he grabbed the whip. It tangled around his arm as he jerked Kaldur towards his fist. The wide eyes on the Atlantian's face was highly satisfying to watch as Kaldur's head connected face first with Marshall Law's fist. He laughed insanely, as he repeated the same move twice before an arrow flew at him. He promptly threw an unconscious Kaldur at Kid Flash, knocking the two away. Marshall Law dodged the quick arrows, grinning to himself as he spotted Artemis on top of a ledge, "Three down, three to go."

Arrow after arrow, she fired. None affected him, not even her special explosive arrows had an effect on him. Artemis was starting to get nervous, her bow quivering in her hands. She tried to calm herself, but with some of her friends in danger from a practically unstoppable man, she was losing hope in herself. However, Artemis would not give up. She vowed to protect her friends even if death was just around the corner. So, she let out her flurry of arrows on the enemy. Marshall Law jumped up, startling her. He landed in front of Artemis, an evil grin plastered on his face. She felt frozen to the spot, fear running through her body. "Die..." He whispered, holding his whole arm out and slamming it into her chest. Blood flowed out of his mouth forcefully as Artemis flew off of the ledge. Marshall Law laughed like he'd never had before, "FOUR DOWN, TWO TO GO!"

Wally ran towards Robin, his eyes tearing up. "I'm freaking out man!" He stated in a whisper-shout, "We're going to die!"

"Kid, we're not going to die, w-we just need another plan..." Robin said, not really believing himself.

"There are two of us left. The rest of our team is  _gone._ I don't even know if they're still alive." He took deep breaths, looking at his best friend, "Robin..."

"What?"

"I'll create a distraction while you call Batman." Kid Flash said seriously, taking in nervous breaths.

"You can't! You'll-"

"Die?" He chuckled, "Yeah, I've realized but if it'll save you guys, then I'll do it. Wish me luck!"

"Kid-" Robin tried to say, but his friend was already gone. His heart hammered in his chest. He looked over the boulder he'd been hiding behind. Wally was running circles around a furious man. Robin gritted his teeth and tried calling Mount Justice. It rang for a few seconds before ending. No answer. He peaked around to see how Kid Flash was doing. Marshall Law had Wally's neck in his hand, raising him in the air. Robin frantically called Mount Justice again. Nothing. An agonized scream alerted Robin to the fight again. Marshall Law grinned satisfactorily, "Five down... one to go!" He laughed once more before peering around the area. Robin called again frantically. Nothing. What the hell is going on?!

"Where are you, bird-boy?" Marshall Law spoke loudly, getting his attention again, "Are you just going to cowardly hide from me? How disappointing, however, I know your weakness. Your friends, am I right? Oh, course I am!" The large man walked around the area, his head turning from left to right. He reached Wally's unconscious body. He snickered, "What if I just smash their heads in? What a bloodbath that would be!" Marshall Law raised his foot above the speedster's head, cackling to himself.

Robin's eyes widened, knowing that this man meant business. His body acted on its own, jumping out from behind the boulders. "Stop!" He shouted, catching his enemy's attention, "Leave them be! They... They had nothing to do with this!" He lied.

"Oh really now?" Marshall Law smirked, "Why should I believe that?"

"Because..." Robin bit his lip, knowing that what he was about to say will end up killing him, "they had no part of your sister's death. I killed her by myself."

The man's eyes widened, his foot leaving its position over Wally's head, "WHAT?!" Marshall Law ran forward, faster than Robin had ever seen this man go, kicking him harshly. He flew away before his body came into contact with the ground, rolling him onto his stomach. Robin's eyes darkened. With a shaky hand, he pressed his com to call the only last resort he could think of.

The Batcave.

It rang twice before being answered, "Robin."

"Bruce..." He started, trying to get up. His side still hurt, making it take a harder time to get up than it should have, "We need... backup..."

"What happened?" Batman questioned, already signaling to several other Justice League members.

"Mistress Ember was killed. Marshall Law freaked and has gotten strong. I fear that he's become unstoppable." Robin said, taking careful breaths, trying to regain feeling in his legs, "The whole team is unconscious. I'm the only one left. Batman, we need immediate-" Suddenly, a sickening crack was heard, Robin's scream emitting through the com.

"Robin!" The Dark Knight shouted out. The teenager kept screaming.

"Trying to get away, are we now?" Marshall Law chuckled, his foot putting more pressure on the boy's broken leg. He smooshed his boot deeper, Robin's scream becoming louder. He gave a feral grin, "Is Batman on right now? Great. I hope you can hear me, you son of a bitch! I am going to make your little bird  _sing_ before I ultimately destroy him. All you'll have left it a smear on the ground!" Batman ended the call, the alert was given out. He rushed towards his private jet, powered it, and left quickly. Aquaman, Superman, Flash, Green Arrow, and Mr. Martian would meet him there.

Robin bit his lip, trying to hold back his screams after the initial few. "I never go back on my word. When I said I'm going to make you  _sing_ , I meant it!" His teeth showed as his boot rushed towards Robin's chest. The forceful cracking of his ribs was heard as the teenager rolled away onto his back. Marshall Law walked up to him and placed the same foot on Robin's chest gingerly. He gave a wicked grin, starting to apply pressure to the boy's ribcage. His eyes widened as a fire of pain spread through his body. Robin desperately tried to claw the leg away from his chest, but it was to no avail. Marshall Law pushed his foot deeper, waiting for the rib cage to split open underneath his boot. A rib cracked under the pressure, sending pain flaring angrily up Robin's spin. He let out a scream that echoed across the plains, blood falling from his mouth like a waterfall. Marshall Law laughed happily, lifting his foot up slightly before letting it crash down, earning another scream. He continued slamming his foot into the trapped bird's chest, laughing manically the whole time.

Robin knew this was it. There was no way he'll be coming out of this alive. However, he didn't regret his decision to throw himself out there to give his friends enough time to be rescued. He internally laughed at himself. Wally was going to sacrifice himself to protect everyone but in the end, it'd be him six feet under instead. Robin coughed up more blood, his vision darkening. He will die with that crazed look on Marshall Law's face burned into his memories. Tears escaped him as his life flashed before his eyes. The days in the circus came in bursts leading up to his parents' deaths and Bruce finding him. He became a sidekick to the famous Batman for several years. The two had a bond stronger than any friendships he'd had in the past. Robin considered Bruce his father who was always there for him when in danger, his savior. Then, the day came when the Young Justice was formed. All of their crazy adventures that came to him and his friends almost on every mission. The lectures he'd get from Batman before a compliment was handed to us. It was nice while it lasted, but it seems that this is it. Robin let out a choked sob before the darkness finally consumed him, but not before feeling a weight lift off of his chest.

Maybe this is how it feels to die.


	2. Heartbeat

Marshall Law smirked, having himself a good time. Through his glee, he could see that the little bird until his boot was slowly closing his eyes. A final sob and cough of blood were it for the Boy Wonder, his head tilting to the side. He grinned, continuing to mutilate the bloodied body. He lifted his knee as high as it would go before slamming it down with all of the force he could muster. There was a chorus of cracks, pops, and slouching sounds leaving the body of Robin. He sneered, leaning forward so his foot was tilted into the bird's sternum, "You are a filthy creature. How  _dare_ you kill my sister? I will  _never_ forgive you, you bastard!" He kicked Robin's body away, disgusted by the mere sight of his sister's murderer who'd he vanquished in a mere ten minutes. "I guess now would be a good time to go."

"We're not letting you get away!" A shout alerted him to someone behind him. Just as the larger man turned around, Superman slammed the full force of his body into the disheveled Marshall Law. The blond haired man rolled away, growling and murmuring about how much he hated the Justice League. Mr. Martian floated beside the Kryptonian man, his eyes narrowed dangerously. Marshall Law stood back up, seeing Batman running over to Robin. He glared at the Dark Knight before laughing, "I told you I'd make him sing!" Superman and Mr. Martian launched their attack.

The two aliens worked together in sync, Mr. Martian having set a communication link between himself as Superman so they could coordinate their attacks to make sure that Marshall Law had no chance of fighting back while they pummeled him into the ground. They weren't going to just stand around and let this maniac hurt their precious people. The whole time they were fighting, their minds were on Robin's condition and how the other teenagers were doing. Neither knew the whole story which made each rather worried.

Batman looked down worriedly at his partner. There was blood everywhere, pooling and curling around Robin's body which had become eerily still. Stilling his hammering heart, he leaned his head to listen for anything that symbolized life in his pseudo son. His eyes widened, "Flash! Get over here!" Barry was beside the Dark Knight in an instant. "I need you to do compressions, his heart isn't beating," Batman informed. The Flash nodded quickly, his hands already in position, pumping up and down while counting in his head. Bruce stared at the boy he always considered his son, hoping that he'll be alright. While the speedster did the compressions, the Dark Knight placed two fingers to Robin's neck, searching for a pulse. So far, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. After a set amount of compressions, the Flash backed off so Bruce could place oxygen into the bird's lungs. Once done, the process continued over and over again.

However, deep within the Dark Knight's mind, he could not help the fear of losing his pseudo son overwhelm him.

Aquaman and Green Arrow spread out to wake up the teenagers. Aquaman headed over to where Kid Flash, Kaldur, and M'gann were at. He was surprised that his partner was in this condition. Atlantian skin was  _much_ different from a human's skin. It's stronger enough to have a train run over it and only come out of it with a few bruises and cuts. Kaldur's nose was broken and broken bones in his chest could be seen. Wally was bruised from nearly head-to-toe, especially the purple and blue marks around his next while his eyes had completely shut due to swelling. M'gann was in a similar condition to Kaldur's injuries. Her sternum was fractured while her arm was broken. She too was bruised in most places. When he had managed to awaken the three teenagers, they almost got up and fought him. Aquaman hadn't been on guard and almost received a nasty slash from his protégé. However, when realizing who they'd been trying to attack, the three backed off. The minute adrenaline was gone and all three were suddenly extremely tired. Wally had fallen on his butt, breathing heavily. Kaldur and M'gann sat beside him, sitting up and watching Aquaman. Green Arrow looked at his 'niece' and felt his heart break slightly by the condition he found her in. Blood dribbled down her chin from her mouth and nose, her eyes blackening. Her leg was twisted in several ways, obviously broken, and needed to be set into place as soon as they got to Mount Justice. Conner's ribs were fractured in his chest, his Kryptonian blood making it hard for his bones to break. Bruises lined most of his body, especially around his mouth, chin, and chest areas. He seemed to be in a better condition than the others. When Green Arrow had awoken Conner, he almost got a fist to the face. To avoid the fast jab, he kicked the teenager out from under his feet, watching at the Superman clone fell to the ground. That seemed to shake him out of whatever trance he'd been in and nodded in acknowledgment before getting up and sitting beside M'gann. Artemis was a different story. When she woke up, she gave an agonized shout of pain, clutching her leg. Green Arrow had hugged her before picking her up and setting her beside Conner. After a few minutes, Artemis sucked it up and calmed herself enough to start talking. The group of teenagers sat still on the ground, still aching when the inquiry of questions began.

Green Arrow coughed to get their attention, "We would like you five to debrief us on what happened on this mission."

Kaldur shifted a little bit before speaking, "We had found a lab deep underground a mile from where Marshall Law and Mistress Ember were spotted. It was actually by coincidence that we found it at all, with Kid Flash stepping on a pressure sensor which unlocked a secret passage."

"I'm guessing that you went down there?" Aquaman question.

"Indeed. There was only one hallway that led to three different areas. They were exact copies of each other, except for a different colored gem in the center of each room. Holes were carved out of the walls in the middle room so a light from the gems on the side could reach the middle gem. Marshall Law and Mistress Ember seemed to have been getting their power from his, feeding it on it like it was their only light source." He sighed, leaning back against the rock behind him, "Our position was compromised and we fought for about thirty minutes. We were slowly losing due to the fact that the gems were making them stronger the more the siblings were around it and-"

"Wait!" Green Arrow interrupted, "These  _gems_  powered them?!"

"Yes. It was rather frightening to fight against because they just kept getting stronger every minute. After we had realized this, M'gann became camouflaged and stole the middle gem before going back down the hallway towards the door." Kaldur explained, "We followed her back and found that the door had locked behind us but we managed to get out eventually. Marshall Law and Mistress Ember had found that we stole their energy source and charged at us. This is where all the fighting started."

Artemis sighed, looking really disappointed in herself, "We tried out best to fight them, we really did."

Her mentor placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "It's fine. If Batman had known that this was the case, he wouldn't have sent you all on such a dangerous mission."

"Was there anything else?" Aquaman asked.

"Yeah. They were  _really_  good at working together so we couldn't really make a solid hit, you know? So, we decided to split them up. Conner, Kaldur, and Artemis used hit-and-run tactics to lead Marshall Law away from his sister while the rest of us ran away from Mistress Ember." Wally explained.

Conner nodded, "That was the plan but an explosion caught Marshall Law's attention and he rushed back to his sister. I don't know who did the deed, but Mistress Ember died and it supposedly triggered a rage-filled episode that transformed Marshall Law. He became three times stronger and seemed unstoppable." Green Arrow and Aquaman gave each other a worried glance. The black haired teenager slammed his fist on the ground, "It was then that everything just went downhill from there."

M'gann sighed, "We decided to use hit-and-run tactics on Marshall Law again because they worked earlier. However, Conner... was attacked and I... oh god, I'm so stupid. I revealed my location by calling for him and I... I tried to fight against him one-on-one, but he got the better of him. I'm so sorry." She looked close to tears, obviously ashamed for potentially bringing her friends towards danger. Her boyfriend rubbed her back soothingly. "Um... guys, can I ask something?" M'gann asked receiving various nods, "What... What happened after I was knocked out by Marshall Law?"

"We launched a surprise attack that didn't... go so...  _well_." Kid Flash responded, his head hung, "Supey over there was the first to go down after you, M'gann."

"I admit defeat..." Conner looked away before sighing slightly, "He was too fast..."

"I tried to get behind him, hoping to get the advantage but he managed to figure out that I was there." Kaldur stated, "I believe that this was the around the time of my unconsciousness. What happened afterward?" Aquaman gave him a pitiful look, giving him a nod, a gesture that would mean in human terms 'you did your best'.

Artemis shivered, wincing slightly, "Every last one of my arrows had no effect on him. They just bounced off a-and then he came closer to me. I... I froze. I couldn't do it... That look in his eyes, it..." Green Arrow hugged her, hating that this had to happen to such young kids.

"You got scared and he knocked you unconscious." Superboy finished for her. She nodded weakly, nuzzling into her 'uncle's' hold.

"What happened after that?" Aquaman asked, trying to direct the conversation away from the trauma suffered by the team.

Everyone looked at Wally whose eyes were downcast. "It was just Robin and I. I sacrificed myself so Robin could call you guys, but he... he was too quick. I thought I was dead..." The speedster's eyes suddenly widened, "ROBIN! OH MY GOD, WHERE IS HE?!" At the sudden shout, the remaining members of the Young Justice started to freak out while calling out for their friend.

The older men felt pity for the youngsters while mentally preparing themselves for what they about to tell them. Green Arrow released Artemis from the reassuring hug to stand by the other Justice League member. "Children." Started Aquaman.

"My King, where is Robin?" Kaldur asked, worry clearly written on his face, "Did you not wake him like the rest of us?"

Green Arrow sighed, standing stiffly, "I regret to inform all of you that Robin... he has been brutally injured by Marshall Law. I'm not sure of how he's doing right now, but I assure you that the Flash and Batman are doing their best."

"Oh god... t-this is all my fault..." Wally said quietly, "I-I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have r-run away from him to... to fight Marshall Law by myself... Oh god!" He wanted to freak out and cry. M'gann clearly saw the distress and hugged her friend tightly, telling him that it's not his fault over and over again. It wasn't working. Wally was slowly starting to hyperventilate. The rest of the Young Justice team crowded around their friend as they hugged it out, a few tears being shed in Robin's name. Green Arrow and Aquaman turned away from the crying teenagers, their hearts breaking for them.

"I've got a pulse!" Batman shouted after what seemed like an eternity. Flash's hand retracted, blood soaked into his gloves. He looked over at the speedster, "I need you to run Robin back to Mount Justice. I'll call Red Tornado who'll meet you there."

"Got it, I won't let you down." He nodded, picking the Boy Wonder up as carefully as possible so he wouldn't further his injuries before running off at high speeds. Batman sucked in air before exhaling it out slowly. He almost lost him. He almost lost his  _son_. Shaking away the thoughts threatening to eat him alive, he called Red Tornado to notify him of Robin's current condition.

It barely got passed the first ring before the machine's voice could be heard on the other side, "How may I assist you, Batman?"

"Robin has been injured. Flash is running him over there now." He stated.

"What can I expect to see when he gets here?" Red Tornado questioned.

Batman grunted, "A shattered ribcage, a broken leg, most likely a concussion, and I haven't identified anything else."

"I will do my best." He stated. Batman could hear off in the distance the computer at Mount Justice recognizing Flash. The speedster's shout before the call had ended. Bruce reassured himself that Red Tornado could handle the injuries Robin sustained and if not, Flash was there to help if possible. Suddenly, a flurry of shouts filled the area. Bruce recognized the voices of the other members of Young Justice calling out Robin's name. The Dark Knight sighed, walking towards the group. When he reached their position, he could see them huddled together on the ground. They were obviously upset about the whole ordeal. He looked over to Green Arrow and Aquaman who gave the Dark Knight a downcast look. Bruce gave a silent nod, walking closer to the Young Justice.

Catching sight of the Dark Knight, Wally ran up to him, "Where is he?!" The others stared at Batman also, expectancy written on their faces.

"Flash has just reached Mount Justice with Robin. He and Red Tornado are going to do their best to keep him alive." He stated bluntly.

"How was he?" Superboy asked, his throat tight and his face showing worry for the little bird.

Batman had expected the question, but he didn't really know what to say. The silence tugged at the hearts of the people around as they waited for his reply. After what seemed like an eternity, he spoke, "Robin... almost died."

"WHAT?!" The team shouted, getting up from their feet and rushing over to him. They desperately asked him in a cluster of question what happened to him.

He stood stiffly, "I'm not sure of the events that occurred while you five were unconscious, but I can tell you that his heart stopped for approximately two minutes. Flash and I resurrected him before rushing him to Mount Justice. That is all I know. I do not know of his condition right now." Bruce narrowed his eyes at the group. "Once everyone is back at Mount Justice, you  _will_ debrief me on what happened on this mission. Afterwards, you five will be given two weeks for recovery before I even consider another mission for you all."

"And Robin? Can we see him?" Wally asked, his eyes pleading.

"No, not unless I give you permission." Batman stated, walking away, "I will see you all at Mount Justice." Within seconds, he was gone.


End file.
